Microsoft wants to launch first modern smartwatch in time for the holidays

Microsoft is planning to unveil its long-rumored wearable wristwatch within the next few weeks with intentions of launching it in time to (hopefully) cash in on the lucrative holiday buying season according to sources familiar with the matter as reported by Forbes.

The hybrid smartwatch / fitness tracker, which will be compatible with multiple mobile platforms including Android, iOS and Windows Phone, is to last more than two days on a single charge. If true, that’d put it ahead of other devices already on the market like the Samsung Galaxy Gear and Motorola’s Moto 360 . Both of those devices require a daily recharge.

If you recall, Forbes first revealed Microsoft’s wearable ambitions this past May. The device is said to draw on engineering expertise from the Kinect division and feature a number of embedded sensors. At the time, the watch was also described as looking similar to the Samsung Gear Fit with a full-color touchscreen.

The decision to make the wearable cross-platform certainly falls in line with CEO Satya Nadella’s vision of Microsoft. One can’t help but wonder if former boss Steve Ballmer would have made Microsoft’s first modern wearable a Windows Phone-only affair.

Redmond's mobile OS makes up just 2.5 percent of the global smartphone market according to IDC. Releasing a smartwatch that’s only compatible with Windows Phone could have severely limited its potential success, but I digress.

No word yet on what Microsoft plans to name the device, how much it will sell for or when exactly it’ll be available.